Queen’s Park is doling out money to help municipalities with the transition to a new supportive housing and homelessness initiative.
John Milloy, minister of community and social services, announced yesterday that Ontario is providing $42 million in one-time funding to assist eligible municipalities as they develop and implement their Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative (CHPI) plans.
It’s temporary funding for next year only to “make up” for scrapping the Community Start Up and Maintenance Benefit (CSUMB) in last spring’s austerity budget, Milloy said Thursday.
“This one-time funding will work in combination with existing housing and homelessness supports,” Milloy said. “Our goal is to ensure security and stability for people receiving assistance from Ontario Works or the Ontario Disability Support Program while municipalities develop their CHPI investment plans.”
Peel Region won’t benefit from this recent announcement, said Human Services Commissioner Janet Menard, explaining the one-time funding is for municipalities that stand to lose on this new CHPI model.
Peel, Halton and York regions will actually see more cash come their way through CHPI.
The CHPI combines funding from five existing homelessness programs into a single funding envelope administered by Municipal Affairs and Housing and delivered by municipalities.
Cash distributed to municipalities under CHPI will now be based more closely on need, Menard said. Peel will receive $12.3 million in 2013.
Milloy explained that this one-time funding will be allocated to ensure “stability” through this period of transition as the Liberal provincial government moves to scrap the old programs.
Starting Jan. 1, discretionary benefits, which fund supports such as glasses, prosthetics and dental care for people receiving social assistance; and the Community Startup and Maintenance Benefit, which provides money for people combating homelessness, will be modified.
The Peel Poverty Action Group (PPAG) last week sent an open letter to municipal politicians asking them to join lobbying efforts to maintain or increase funding for the fight against local homelessness.
The PPAG noted Ontario’s plan to discontinue the Community Start-up and Maintenance Benefit will hurt the poor.
PPAG estimates that with the end of CSUMB and other changes, Peel will receive about $3 million less for homelessness prevention, at a time when social service organizations in the region believe homelessness is on the rise.
In response, Brampton-Springdale MPP and Labour Minister Linda Jeffrey said consolidating five housing and homelessness programs will result in an investment of $246 million for 2013/2014, including $62.6 million previously spent on CSUMB.
“This is a 140.4 per cent increase from what we received last year under the five separate programs,” according to Jeffrey.
In addition, in 2012 the Combined Benefit Upload for Peel is $76.8 million, she said.
“These funds will give our service providers the flexibility to invest in the homelessness programs that are most needed in our community,” Jeffrey expects.
She said in 2012 the government took over $65.5 million in costs previously shouldered by the region and will assume $75.6 million next year. That will give the region $9.1 million more to address issues like homelessness, Jeffrey suggested.
—With files from Roger Belgrave